How to carve wooden chess set?

wood carving of chess set for beginners
Wood carving is not only beautiful, but also very useful. If you start your carving hobby you can learn by making chess set. And in this blog we want to share with you how to carve wooden chess set.
Browse this articles:

How to carve wooden chess set?

One of the great things about carving wooden chess pieces is that there is such a vast selection of shape, form, design, colour, size, and weight that you can make the pieces of your choice. The possibilities really are endless and many of the top companies in the world offer the ability to create these chess pieces. If you are interested in wood chess piece carving then this is what you need to know about the materials that are needed to get the work done. You can use either a standard blade file or sandpaper to create these pieces but the important thing is to get the wood right.

Sharpness is the number one thing to consider when it comes to getting these pieces. This is especially true if you plan on making these pieces into wooden chess pieces. The harder the wood is the more difficult it will be to create a chess piece from the material. If you find a piece of wood that is too soft you may want to use a bit of sandpaper to really get the piece to perform the way you need it to. Any material that is suited for carving can be used for wood chess pieces. The options include, oak, maple, and beech. If you are interested in beech wood chess pieces then you will need to make sure that it is suited for this.

The only thing that you really need to be concerned with when it comes to wood chess pieces is the amount of colour that you want to use. Anything that has red or pink has to be removed. If you are going to go with one of these types of pieces you will need to use a dye based or a gel-based ink to get the colour to show up in the piece. Any wood material will work for carving these pieces. The only thing that you need to keep in mind is that you will need to keep the piece from being scratched.

If you want to create the pieces that are worth collecting then you are going to want to learn a bit about the material that you are going to use to make the wood chess piece. If you decide to use wood for the piece then you will need to make sure that the piece is ready to be taken out of the woods. These chess pieces are meant to be an investment in a collection of your own and will keep it for years to come.

The next thing that you will want to consider is the type of finish that you are going to apply to the piece. The wood pieces that are made with oak or maple wood will have a rich grain to them. This is a good finish to use when you want a smooth surface or a high gloss finish.

It is a good idea to stay away from wood chess pieces that are painted. Some of the older ones that are available at the crafts store will have a stained finish. It is best to stick with an oil-based finish because it will offer a smooth surface for your chess pieces to stand on.
wood carved chess

How to carve wooden chess set?

Steps to carve a chess set:

  1. Tools Required
  2. Pencil
  3. Scratch paper
  4. Your Desired Type of Wood
  5. Wooden lathe
  6. Carving Knife
  7. Different sandpaper grits


Steps:

  • Designing the chess pieces. The very first step on how to carve a chess set is choosing a design for your chess pieces. You can get a plan online, source it out from books, or think of your design.
  • Carving the pieces on the wood lathe. You can take two different kinds of woods, one for the darker side and the lighter side. You can also choose the same type of wood for both sides; the pieces then can be stained afterward.
  • Mounting on the lathe. Take the wooden block and carefully mount it on the lathe. Then start turning and press the cutting tool up to the turning piece of wood to carve it.
  • Doing the fine carving: This step is the most challenging part of the chess making process. Carve those chess pieces to perfection using special tools, knives, and your hand. Use the chess design that you have chosen, and give those details to your chess pieces.
  • Sanding and treating the chess pieces. It is vital to sand the chess pieces to get a smooth and even surface. Chess pieces are also treated with a solution that helps the chess pieces to preserve.
  • Final finish and polishing. Final touches are made, and the pieces created are also polished to give it a high shine. Learning how to carve a chess set requires creativity and patience, but you’ll never regret it with excellent results.